Rating Practice Teams 12

Hello everyone. Welcome to the twelfth installment of the Rating Practice Teams! Previously, we only had been doing these for Standard OU Tier, which didn't give the much-needed opportunities to the Other Tiers raters. As such, with the help of some individuals I decided to run Rating Practice Team for each tier. This will help aspire potential Team Raters to expand their knowledge while tackling different situations.

Now about these teams that will be posted - they have been made up by myself and other TRs, and we have included some obvious (and some not so obvious) weaknesses for you to pick up on. Treat this thread as a standard RMT that you'd find in the forum, and note that it has not been made to be perfect. The descriptions might say things that aren't completely true, and the EV spreads and natures might not be optimal. Just like you could expect to find in many of the RMTs in the forum.

These particular teams, as well as the previous ones posted in the sub-forum, has been specially designed to put to test your ability to spot weaknesses and other flaws, as well as your ability to find the best solutions in order to fix said problems.

Anyone is welcome to give rating the team a go -- I'll personally reply to every serious rate that gets sent my way, pointing out any problems I notice and giving suggestions to help you fix them, and I'll also try to offer individual tips to help you improve your rating! Once the team is posted, raters will have a month term to send in their rates. At the end of the period, I'll be posting a general analysis of the team, including an example rate, how I would go about rating the team, and pointing out any common problems I noticed among the rates that were sent.

ALL PRACTICE RATES SHOULD BE PM'D TO Delko and mostwanted BY NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY JULY 25TH. RATES RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE WILL NOT BE ANALYZED. PLEASE INDICATE THE RATED TIER SOMEWHERE IN THE PM. YOU MAY RATE MORE THAN ONE TEAMS.

To everyone that is participating, please read this thread before sending in your rates. You'll find it very helpful when stuck with a problem presented by the team.

Remember that participating in this activity is in your own best interests, and is a central part of the rating and workshop programs, so make the most of it!

(Tue/01:52:06 PM) PenguinX: are we meant to rate the practice teams assuming old BW or with BW2 additions
(Tue/01:52:13 PM) PenguinX: im guessing the former but just wanted to check
(Tue/02:42:14 PM) MW: yea former
(Tue/02:42:29 PM) MW: thanks for reminding, i'll add that to the op

This is a very simple example of the most aggressive type of Volt-turning strategy. Deoxys-D sets-up hazards quickly to maximize the passive damage the opponent will take from switching out of Rotom-W and Scizor over the course of the match. Latios and Salamence work together to break down steels, and late game Terrakion tears through weakened walls.
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Deoxys-D is one of the few pokemon with access to both Spikes and Stealth Rock, combined with it’s great bulk it becomes one of the most efficient support pokemon in the game. Entry hazards are key to the Volt-turn strategy as they punish the opponent for switching to pokemon that resist U-turn or Volt Switch. If the opponent cannot switch in and out indefinitely, they may eventually be forced to sacrifice a pokemon in order to break the Volt-turn chain. Rocky Helmet allows Deoxys-D to beat Forretress and other spinners in conjunction with Night Shade. Taunt is critical and should be used aggressively in order to prevent the opponent from putting up hazards of their own which would severely inhibit the Volt-turn chains.

Scizor is the first part of the Volt-turn core, and the only steel on the team. Choice band ensures maximum damage from U-turn and Bullet punch, so Scizor can act as the ‘best’ revenge killer in OU. Superpower should be used aggressively against Ferrothorn, as it will do enough damage that Latios and Salamence will smash it if it tries to wall them. Pursuit can be used to trap Latios and Latias, clearing the way for Terrakion.

Rotom-W is the second part of the Volt-turn core, and once again I have maximized its damage output with a choice item. Hidden Power Fire is chosen over Grass or Ice in order to ensure that I can OHKO opposing Swords Dance Scizor in all circumstances, it would be a massive threat to this team otherwise. I rarely use Trick, but it can cripple Chansey such that Latios can destroy it with Psyshock.

I chose CB Terrakion for this team because it puts enormous pressure on my opponent, as very few teams have a durable answer to its powerful Close Combats. It also lures Skarmory, possibly weakening it enough that Salamence can get power through it after a Moxie boost. Quick Attack is a safety net in case a sweeper actually does manage to set-up against this team.

I chose Latios because it lures steel types, creating an easy sweep for Salamence or Scizor as the game winds to a close. Draco Meteor destroys almost eveything that doesn't resist it. Psyshock and Hidden Power Fire are there for the element of surprise against Rain Teams, Tentacruel and Ferrothorn cannot hope to wall it. Recover is necessary to increase the survivability of Latios, she often wears down too quickly with a Life Orb and she has key water and fighting resists.

I cannot overstate how strong Moxie Scarf Salamence is. Late game it can finish off offensive teams, and once steels are out of the way Salamence even blows through bulkier teams. The early hazards, the Volt-turn shenanigans, the entire team is made to let Salamence come in and finish the job. Dragon Claw and Fire Blast are primarily for revenge kills (though those are rarely necessary), and Brick Break is used only out of desperation. Often the Salamence’s Outrage followed by CB Bullet punches is enough to ensure victory.

This team is fairly offensive and relies a lot on Spike-stacking. The strategy is keeping rain up, letting Manaphy sweep with ease thanks to its Hydration ability, and allow Kyogre, Dialga, and Palkia spam Thunders. The boost of Water-type moves in rain is also taken advantage of. Kyogre is the team's main revenge killer and brings rain up, whereas Palkia lures in and defeats Chansey, Blissey, and Ferrothorn, while also countering opposing Kyogre. Dialga and Ferrothorn are the entry hazards core, and Giratina-O ensures they stay there. Manaphy is the team's star, and it also protects the team from Gliscor and Darkrai, thanks to Hydration.
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Kyogre is definitely the team's immediate powerhouse. Full powered Water Spout in rain, comng from 438 Attack.... well, if you don't quadruple resist Water or are not immune to it, you're gonna take a lot of damage. Surf is Kyogre's main STAB when it's health is below 75%, whereas Ice Beam and Thunder provide great coverage and form the infamous BoltBeam coverage. Thunder hits opposing Kyogre, whereas Ice Beam decimates the Dragon-type Pokemon lurking everywhere. The EVs and nature allow Kyogre hit as hard as possible and outrun neutral nature max Speed Deoxys-A, Shaymin-S, Darkrai, and Mewtwo.

This set is so cool! Substitute Palkia is one of the hardest Pokemon to defeat without Toxic Spikes, as it boasts so much power and very wide coverage within its moves. The main point here is to lure in the Pokemon that stop Manaphy: Blissey, Chansey, and Ferrothorn, and destroy them with Focus Punch. Spacial Rend is a phenomenal STAB and allows me to get past Giratina, and Thunder strikes Kyogre extremely hard. Lustrous Orb or Expert Belt can replace Leftovers, but I like that recovery for additional Substitutes. The EVs allow me to outspeed threats like unboosted Rayquaza, and 2HKO all 3 of Ferrothorn, Chansey, and Blissey with Focus Punch.

Ferrothorn is a secondary check for Kyogre and Water-types, like Palkia, Water Arceus, and opposing Manaphy. Spikes is really really great, and many people often underestimate it. It can literally win you games just by constantly shuffling and forcing switches. Leech Seed provide additional recovery and allows me to cripple setup sweepers like Rayquaza, Mewtwo, and Darkrai. Thunder Wave stops fast paced sweepers and allows my team to easily revenge kill them. Power Whip is Ferrothorn's STAB, and while it can be replaced by Gyro Ball for Shaymin-S, the higher PP is really attractive. It also allows me to actually hit opposing Kyogre, if needed. The EVs let Ferrothorn tank Draco Meteors and Spacial Rends the best.

Dialga is here to lay down Stealth Rock, a must for any team in my opinion, and keep pressure with its coverage and sheer power. Draco Meteor hurts like a truck; 252/0 Groudon takes a whooping 75.74% - 89.1% from it (with Life Orb it's 87.5% to OHKO!). Fire Blast put a stop cold to Ferrothorn and Forretress, that think they can set up hazards all over me. Forretress is OHKOed in rain 25% of the time, whereas Ferrothorn takes 60.22% minimum. Thunder hits Kyogre, which can be useful against Choice Specs variants, and Flying-types, such as Flying Arceus and Skarmory. The EVs allow me to outrun 0 Speed base 100's, such as Jirachi, grant me a leftovers HP number, and allow Dialga hit as hard as possible. Life Orb can be a useful item, but I need Dialga alive most of the time.

Alright, this thing here is a key Pokemon on the team. It keeps hazards up thanks to its Ghost-typing, it checks Mewtwo with Shadow Sneak, and it checks Extreme Killer Arceus with Will-O-Wisp. Burning down Tyranitar and Excadrill is also very nice. With Dragon Tail, you can keep phazing the opponent, stacking up more and more entry hazards damage, while Draco Meteor allows Giratina-O to hit extremely hard any switch-in. Giratina-O is also a great check to all Groudon with Will-O-Wisp, you just need to be cautious against Lum Berry Dragon Claw ones. The EVs may seem weird, but here is the explanation by trickroom: "The EV spread looks weird, but it accomplishes a few specific roles. The HP EVs allows Giratina-O to always survive a Spacial Rend from Palkia at full health. The Defense EVs enable Giratina-O to survive Extreme Killer Arceus's +2 Life Orb Shadow Claw even after two rounds of Stealth Rock damage, and counter with Dragon Tail to phaze Arceus out."

The star of the show! Manaphy is definitely one of the more underrated Pokemon in Ubers, and I must say, that I truly don't get why. Base 100 Special Attack? You have Tail Glow to immediately grant a +3 boost. Not so bulky? Well, I guess Rest + Hydration make up for it by granting instant recovery in rain. Manaphy is definitely one of the coolest Pokemon out there, and it can tear a lot of teams apart once it has grabbed its boost. Surf and Ice Beam have good coverage together, and actually, Surf in rain hits Dialga and Ferrothorn harder than Ice Beam! Wacan Berry is a very fine item for Manaphy to use; it allows it to tank a Thunder from Pokemon such as Kyogre and Palkia, or even a Bolt Strike from Zekrom, and hit back hard with Ice Beam or Surf.

This is an offensive team based around Sharpedo, who is capable of tearing through a majority of UU when given the proper support. When using this team it is crucial to get hazards up ASAP and then dish out as much damage as you can with your sweepers, ensuring that the opponent will be severely crippled by the time Sharpedo is sent out. Bronzong and Qwilfish support this team with entry hazards, making it easier for all of my mons to sweep, and Cofagrigus ensures they cannot be spun away. Lilligant provides me with an amazing setup sweeper and bulky water counter, and Krookodile serves as a potent revenge killer and secondary lategame sweeper. And once the coast is clear, Sharpedo comes in and swiftly eliminates whatever pokemon still remain.

Bronzong fills a few crucial roles on this team, providing me with Stealth Rocks and acting as my counter for many dangerous pokemon. Stealth Rock is undoubtably the most important move on the team; it keeps fire types in check and puts many mons in Sharpedo’s KO range. Also, without Bronzong, Pokemon such as Flygon, Krookodile, and Raikou would be extremely threatening. If you see one of these pokemon you must keep Bronzong as healthy as possible. Gyro Ball deals great damage to most offensive pokemon, and Earthquake hits the Fire and Electric types that resist Steel. Toxic is there to cripple the bulky waters that Sharpedo despises.
--Qwilfish (M) @ Leftovers
Trait: Intimidate
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spd
Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)
- Waterfall
- Thunder Wave
- Spikes
- Taunt

Qwilfish provides Spikes support, and has great synergy with Bronzong; they cover each other’s weaknesses almost flawlessly. Qwilfish provides insurance against the strong Fire, Fighting, and Bug attacks flying around the tier, and sets up in the face of numerous physical attackers. Every one of my teammates loves Spikes support, and there is rarely a game that Qwilfish is unable to set up one or two layers. Waterfall is necessary so that Qwil is not complete setup fodder, and deals respectable damage even uninvested. Taunt combined with a decent speed stat means that opposing walls cannot set up on Qwilfish, and Thunder Wave cripples common switch-ins, such as Raikou and Zapdos.
--Lilligant (F) @ Lum Berry Trait: Chlorophyll
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power [Rock]
- Quiver Dance
- Sleep Powder

Lilligant thrives in the presence of the many bulky waters that tend to wall Sharpedo, and she can be an incredibly dangerous sweeper with hazard support. Quiver Dance is one of the best setup moves in the game, and after a few boosts Lilligant is nigh unstoppable. Sleep Powder allows me to cripple a counter and continue setting up, but its accuracy can be a letdown at times. Giga Drain hits surprisingly hard and allows Lilligant to recover HP she lost while setting up. HP Rock hits Fire and Flying types but leaves her hopelessly walled by Steels, so they must be removed or severely weakened before Lilligant can sweep. Lum Berry is used so Lilligant can switch directly in on bulky waters and not worry about being burnt.
--Krookodile (M) @ Choice Scarf Trait: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge

The obligatory revenge killer of this team, Krookodile can also function as an amazing lategame sweeper. Crunch and Earthquake form an awesome STAB combo that hits most of the tier hard, and Stone Edge rounds out the coverage, hitting Flying-types super-effectively. Pursuit allows Krook to eliminate Scarf Chandelure and Victini, two pokemon who would otherwise prove quite troublesome. Because of Moxie, Krookodile gets an attack boost after every kill, and can demolish weakened teams at the end of a game with the appropriate move.
--Cofagrigus (M) @ Leftovers Trait: Mummy
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SAtk
Quiet Nature (+SAtk, -Spd)
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Nasty Plot
- Trick Room

Cofagrigus was added to ensure hazards cannot be spun away, because they are so crucial to this team’s success. It is also my best switch-in to powerful fighting types like Heracross and Machamp. Cofagrigus generates a ton of offensive pressure, and after just 2 turns of setup many teams get swept clean by this monster. Shadow Ball and HP Fighting provide flawless coverage, and utilizing its great bulk, Cofag can set up a Nasty Plot and Trick Room quite easily. Normally Cofagrigus is just too weak to break through most mons in UU even at +2, but spikes support turns many 2HKOs into OHKOs and makes him almost unstoppable. Cofag is the most consistent pokemon on the team, but at the same time the most underwhelming, because it isn’t all that powerful even after a boost.
--Sharpedo (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Speed Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Crunch
- Waterfall
- Protect
- Earthquake

Once opposing checks and counters have been significantly weakened by teammates and entry hazards, Sharpedo is sent in to clean up the mess. Speed Boost allows Sharpedo to outspeed every unboosted pokemon at +1, and every scarfer at +2. With a Life Orb and Adamant Nature he hits extremely hard, 1HKOing basically all offensive pokemon after hazards, and dealing respectable damage to most walls. Crunch hits Ghost and Psychic types, while Waterfall kills the many offensive fire types in the tier and provides a handy 20% flinch chance. Earthquake 1HKOs both Empoleon and Raikou, and takes a huge chunk of health out of Cobalion. If all my teammates have done their jobs well, Sharpedo will have an easy time finishing off the opposing team.
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The main focus of this team is SubCM Entei, a Pokemon I've really wanted to use in RU. I slightly altered the EVs on the site for a good amount of bulk and speed, which are ideal for SubCM Pokemon, the fact that Entei has a high base HP and speed only make it better at filling this role. Lava Plume is my main STAB that I chose over Flamethrower for the good burn rate that it offers. Hidden Power Grass is there for extra coverage to hit stuff like bulky waters, Omastar, etc that normally wall me and my fire STAB. Finally, the 216 Speed EVs outspeed Max+ Base 95s and gives me a jump point. Between Entei and Uxie with their Toxic Spikes support, one of them should be able to get a sweep or finish where the other started and break through my opponent's team, which is what I aimed for when making this team.

This was originally a qwifish but I wanted another Pokemon to take special hits with a good defensive typing for doing so. Drapion was that Pokemon and like Entei, I love to use it in RU. Toxic Spikes are there to both wear down enemy Pokemon and facilitate the sweeps of my SubCM Pokemon: Entei and Uxie by slowly wearing down Pokemon that come in to beat them while I accumulate boosts behind a Sub. Toxic Spikes also wear down all ghosts bar Rotom so Sandslash can spin easier and keep SR off the field for Entei. Whirlwind just grants me extra phazing to rack up more damage and create discord within my opponents team while I use Taunt to prevent other Hazard-setters from laying their spikes and some walls from recovering. Crunch is there for my main and only STAB and actually does a decent amount of damage, while the 16 speed EVs let me outspeed Max Speed base 65's with a neutral nature.

I wanted to use Rotom but went for a slightly different set in SubWisp. While it does conflict with Toxic Spikes a bit, it still hits many Pokemon immune to Toxic Spikes and makes it a lot easier for me to wreak havoc behind a Sub. EVs are just for maximum power and speed while Leftovers let me recover the health I lose from a Substitute. Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt provide exceptional coverage and do a ton of damage as well thanks to my heavy Special Attack investment. I knew I needed a spinblock for this team to protect my hazards and Rotom seems like it's the right one. Levitate is an incredibly useful ability because unlike every other spinblocker, I have an immunity to all the hazards bar Stealth Rock, which gives me a big advantage against stall teams, who can't use hazards to weaken me and facilitate their own ability to spin.

After looking at the current spinners, Sandslash seemed to excite me the most. While it lacks Levitate like Cryogonal and the formerly RU Claydol, it still has great durability and Physically Defensive bulk, not to mention I needed a Pokemon to set Stealth Rock. The 12 speed EVs are simply just for speed creeping, as I know many Base 65 Pokemon run 4 or 8 speed EVs. Instead of SD Sandslash, I went for a more Defensive set in order to check more Pokemon, so Earthquake is my only real attacking move, unless you want to count Rapid Spin. Toxic is there simply to spread the status to levitating Pokemon, namely Rotom and Cryogonal, so that I can 'win the hazards war' per se. I'm pretty happy with Sandslash and I feel it's a really underrated spinner.

After seeing Heist's Meganium set I immediately wanted to use it, not to mention that Meganium is among my favorite Pokemon. Anyways this set works really well for the team in that Grasswhistle can almost permanently take a Pokemon out of the game [if it hits] since I can just phaze it out and reset the sleep counter via Dragon Tail, not to mention I can spread the Toxic Spikes and hit my opponent's Pokemon with Stealth Rock more often when I phaze. Meganium has fantastic bulk and I can abuse it's ability to stay in the game for a while with Leech Seed and Giga Drain, which only keep it alive longer while whittling down the health of my foes so that my SubCMers can pull off a sweep later in the game. Meganium acts as a much needed mixed wall and phazer for the team and can take a hit when she needs to.

Finally we have Uxie. Like Entei I went for a spread that gave me both bulk and speed, as well as a bit of power. Uxie is a great Pokemon and its fantastic Defenses just make it easier for me to take hits behind a Sub and set up. Uxie may not be the most powerful Pokemon, but after it gets a few boosts going, then it truly is a force to be reckoned with, as its great Psychic-Thunderbolt coverage is enough to decimate most teams once I'm at +3 or so, not to mention they grant me a nice SpD drop or Paralysis every so often. Overall, between Uxie and Entei, offensive and defensive teams alike should be overwhelmed and helpless to stop their onslaught, after being drained by Poison/Burn/Leech Seed damage.

This is a basic NU offense team. It relies on using good offensive synergy to beat down SD Samurott’s counters so it can pull of a sweep. Golem is here to counter Swellow and set up rocks while Magmortar, Braviary, and Absol keep the offense going. Amoonguss is there as glue to stop Sawk from spamming Close Combats against my team.
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Golem is my lead and Stealth Rock setter. He also helps counter Swellow who would otherwise demolish my team. Stealth Rock is my hazard and limits Magmortar, Swellow, and Braviary from switching in whenever they want. Earthquake is my STAB and hits fire, poison, and rock types hard like Emboar, Garbodor, and Regirock. Rock Blast is my other STAB move and keeps Ninjask away and Sucker Punch is nice priority for when I’ve been knocked down to Sturdy.

Amoonguss is the glue of my team. It stops Sawk from spamming Close Combats against my team and it also beats Water types that stop my team cold like Quagsire and Alomomola. Spore is cool to put stuff to sleep that might hurt my team. Giga Drain is its STAB and beats Quagsire and other Waters. Clear Smog is to stop people from setting up on Amoonguss and Synthesis is there as a recovery move so Amoonguss can stay alive.

Magmortar is the heavy hitter of this team. With a Life Orb equipped he has the potential to 2hko almost everything in NU and almost nothing can switch in on a LO Fire Blast. Vital Spirit is nice to switch in on Sleep Powders, especially ones from Tangela, and smack with STAB Fire Blast. Thunderbolt offers great coverage by hitting Flying types like Braviary and Water types like Samurott. Hidden Power Grass lets me hit Quagsire who otherwise walls this set and Focus Blast punches holes in Regirock allowing Samurott to clean up easier.

Braviary is my Scarfer and Revenge Killer. It revenges things like Sawsbuck and Leafeon and can OHKO Magmortar with Brave Bird! Brave Bird is its strongest STAB move and hits Grass and Bug types really hard. Return is its other STAB move and gets a neutral hit on a lot of NU and its nice for when you don’t want any recoil. Superpower 2HKOS Golem and Probopass and hits Miltank harder than Brave Bird. U-Turn is there so Braviary can also serve as a good scout and it can OHKO Exeggutor as well.

Absol is my other physical attacker. He takes down Misdreavus which is great for Samurott because then he doesn’t have to risk a burn. Absol also takes down Psychic types that might give this team trouble such as Gardevoir and Musharna. Night Slash is STAB and is a really powerful move to use against Musharna and is a good move to spam. Pursuit is to hit things like Haunter who may want to switch out while Sucker Punch is STAB priority and takes down things faster than Absol. Superpower is there to gain coverage against Rock and Normal types like Regirock and Miltank.

This is the reason this team was built. Swords Dance Samurott is hands down one of the most powerful Pokemon in the NU tier. With a Swords Dance under its belt it 2HKOs the majority of the tier. Waterfall is STAB and is extremely powerful with Life Orb and a Swords Dance. Aqua Jet is STAB and priority and serves to pick off Pokemon that are faster than Samurott such as Magmortar and Rotom-S. Megahorn is Samurott’s coverage move and 2HKOs Tangela at +2. It also OHKOs Exeggutor and Ludicolo, both big threats to my team.

Murkrow is incredibly useful in today's metagame, as it is one of the best Pokemon. I decided to use the SubRoost set as opposed to Life Orb for increased longevity. I tend to switch Murkrow in on Misdreavus and other attackers that can't typically harm it, set up a Substitute, and then go to town. Murkrow is incredibly powerful, and is used to soften things up for an eventual Diglett sweep.

Lileep is my typical wall. It sets up Stealth Rock, which is invaluable for breaking Sturdy and getting damage on everything. I use Lileep to sponge hits from a wide variety of Pokemon, such as Staryu, Chinchou, Hippopotas, and Magnemite. Toxic allows me to cripple problem Pokemon such as Porygon, which is problematic for Murkrow, avoiding the 2HKO from Brave Bird.

Instead of standard Misdreavus, I use Misdreavus as a revenge killer. This allows me to ensure that I am never swept by a +1 Scraggy or +2 Tirtouga. The evs maximize Special Attack and Speed. I don't need any coverage moves, as Shadow Ball and HP Fighting have perfect coverage, so I opted for Destiny Bond. Destiny Bond is the perfect “oh crap” move, as if something's scary, I can almost always outspeed and get the 1 for 1. Trick is great in Little Cup as it cripples something with Choice Scarf, while almost always giving Misdreavus the optimal item, Eviolite.

Scraggy is the greatest sweeper in the tier, hands down. Scraggy can set up on pretty much 3/4ths of the metagame, and has nearly perfect coverage (aside from Croagunk) with just its STAB moves. Since I have Diglett, Croagunk isn't much of a problem; thus, I opted for the more powerful STAB option, Hi Jump Kick, which lets me muscle through a ton of threats. Scraggy's just a beast, that's all there is to say.

Now I have Diglett, one of the greatest Pokemon in the tier, in my opinion. With Arena Trap, the amount of Pokemon Diglett can handle is absolutely ridiculous. Life Orb Earthquake hits like a truck, and its coverage options do pretty well too, with Rock Slide smashing Murkrow and Sucker Punch destroying Misdreavus. I use Memento in order to guarantee a Scraggy set up if I have to. Diglett just handles problematic Pokemon for my other attackers to excel.

Last but not least is Mienfoo. I chose Life Orb for this Mienfoo so it can act as a brilliant wallbreaker. Aside from Misdreavus, pretty much every Pokemon in the tier is OHKOed or 2HKOed. Fake Out revenges weakened Pokemon, with Hi Jump Kick smashing nearly everything. Rock Slide OHKOes Larvesta, and U-Turn does a ton of damage to Slowpoke and Grass-type Pokemon, while letting Mienfoo switch out. U-Turn goes great with Diglett, as tons of times I can U-Turn something and put it in EQ KO range from Diglett.

Research Week is a feature that pretty much every tier hosts in their respective forum, and as of two weeks ago, now the DW tier is no exception. The concept is to take one of three lesser used Pokemon and see why they aren't used as much, or why they are not used enough. This round, out of the three subjects, I felt Gyarados would be the easiest to use so I chose it over Mew and Hydreigon. Part of why Gyarados is not seen often is the ubiquity of sand teams. Excadrill, Tyranitar, Terrakion, Garchomp, and Rotom-W are not kind to Gyarados at all, so any team using it must have a way to deal with those Pokemon and other sand favorites. As such, a rain team was a natural fit for Gyarados, boosting its STAB attacks while taking the edge off of common sand sweepers. With a plan in mind, I set off, donning my lab coat to do some research on the mighty beast that is Gyarados.
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Politoed is the obvious stepping stone to any rain team. However, with the multitude of sets available to run, having the right set makes the difference between making Politoed a force to be reckoned with and having the same useless toad we had since G/S/C. This is my personal favorite set to run on Politoed. To me, Politoed is supposed to be a support player, and keeping it alive for as long as possible is the key to victory. With Rest and a Chesto Berry, I can restore Politoed to full health when it is on its last legs, giving it the edge against Tyranitar and any other hostile weather inducers. Scald is deceptively powerful with the rain boost, and with its 100% 30% burn rate, Politoed can easily knock physical attackers out of contention. Toxic is for enemy bulky Waters, especially Jellicent and Vaporeon, that can come in and wall Gyarados. Perish Song stops Baton Pass teams cold, and helps me out against CM Reuniclus, whom my team can have some trouble with.

The subject of Research Week #1, this is the Pokemon this team owes its existence to. When choosing a set, I at first just slapped on the Dragon Dance set. However, I then remembered CB Gyarados, whom I think was mentioned on a Smogcast or something, but wherever I heard of it, I then chose it instead. This set hits so hard off the bat that it makes up for the Speed the DD set has. Waterfall is the obvious STAB move, gaining massive power with STAB, Choice Band, and rain boosts bring its power up to a whopping 270 BP. Ice Fang hits Dragons such as Dragonite, Hydreigon, Garchomp, and the Lati twins for huge damage. Earthquake smashes grounded Steel-types, while hitting Amoonguss neutrally. This is important for when I'm facing a Fire-type such as Chandelure who may or may not switch to Amoonguss, possibly anticipating Ice Fang. Stone Edge is mostly filler, giving coverage against Flying-types (which hits them way harder than Ice Fang), Abomasnow, and other Gyarados. Unfortunately, this also gives Ditto a weapon to use against me, but it is so rare that I am not as concerned.

If I had to pick a team MVP, it would be this Pokemon right here. Zapdos is such a perfect fit for this team, discouraging Electric-type moves while also stalling out a surprisingly large number of Pokemon. SubToxic Zapdos is no stranger to the Pokemon scene, but in Dream World, Lightningrod gives it a much more legitimate niche than standard OU. I originally thought the Speed investment was a silly idea, but the ability to outspeed all but one common Water-type and blast them with a powerful Thunder makes it an excellent choice. Substitute allows me to smack around a ton of previously dangerous threats, such as Body Slam Jirachi, who can't break Zapdos's Subs with it, Breloom, Ferrothorn, Chandelure, non-Substitute Raikou, etc. Roost makes this set work by allowing me to heal off chip damage and Substitute recoil. Thunder is the obvious STAB move, OHKOing pretty much every Manaphy set 100% of the time.

Excadrill check numero uno, Balloon Terrakion is so amazing in this metagame when you consider all the stuff it can now switch in on, such as Excadrill, Garchomp, and Scarf Landorus. Rock Polish and Swords Dance are a potent pair, and with the Balloon, I can set up a Rock Polish on Excadrill, then sweep the rest of their team without Chandelure, Genesect, and weakened Deoxys-S outspeeding me and stopping my sweep. Close Combat and Stone Edge together wreck every other hostile weather inducer besides Hippowdon, making him my best weather counter. Besides that, since the only two relevant Pokemon who resist Fighting/Rock (Toxicroak and Nidoking) are destroyed by Gyarados and Ditto respectively, the sheer power of its Swords Dance-boosted neutral coverage is usually an easy sweep...unless Stone Edge fails to hit.

One of the posterboys of DW isn't quite as common as we all thought it would be. This RMT is the only one I've seen with it in a long time, and I don't see many top teams using it either. Nevertheless, this thing is such a boss, and is the team's glue. While the sheer power of Gyarados's CB-boosted moves helps to smash stall teams, this set absolutely wrecks offensive teams, especially those built around a boosting sweeper. A surprisingly large amount of Pokemon beat themselves, including Genesect, Terrakion, Excadrill, Thundurus, and a lot more. What's more, when a Pokemon such as Garchomp sets up, I simply take the boosts and initiate a counter sweep. it's EVs are set to HP Ice to deal with Thundurus, Zapdos, and Landorus that use it.

Ferrothorn provides Stealth Rock and can stomach pretty much any Water-typed move in the game, as well as functioning really well on a rain team. While I usually use the max Special Defense set, I decided to try out the standard set, with mixed results. I like how much less I am taking from Outrages, but I also wish I took less from the Water-type moves Ferrothorn also has to take. Leech Seed is the obvious "recovery" move that Ferrothorn needs to function, as otherwise, Leftovers wouldn't be enough. Having both Gyro Ball and Power Whip gives Ferrothorn a lot more offensive presence than people think. For example, Ferrothorn survives Adamant Scarf Terrakion's Close Combat and OHKOes back with Gyro Ball, and it also survives Modest Specs Keldeo's Secret Sword without any hazards, allowing me to OHKO it with Power Whip and remove the biggest threat my team faces. Also, besides random Scarfers, Ditto can revenge kill pretty much anything, so Thunder Wave isn't as necessary.